Wladimir Klitschko Gambles on Glory as He Risks Legacy Against Anthony Joshua

Which corner are you in when it comes to the fight between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko?

There are two contrasting trains of thought: either the relatively inexperienced Joshua has bitten off more than he can chew at this stage of his career or the over-the-hill Klitschko is taking on one test too many.

There is no middle ground. You're either in favour of the young buck who can bang or believe the old-timer still has something special left in the tank to cement his legacy.

On Wednesday, the two foes sat together for a press conference at Wembley Stadium, the venue for their bout on April 29. A week on from Dereck Chisora launching a table at heavyweight rival Dillian Whyte in Manchester, England, Joshua and Klitschko stuck to throwing compliments at each other in the capital.

The Ukrainian had some extremely nice words to say about the IBF champion, per Matchroom Boxing's official Twitter account:

However, he also referred to his next opponent as his "little bro," a term that appeared to get under the skin of the usually unflappable Joshua.

"I'm fine with all that stuff," he said, per Gareth A Davies of the Daily Telegraph. "He can call me little bro and all these things until the cows come home, and then I go and spank him out in a round. It’s kind of irrelevant."

At least Klitschko stopped short of walking over and ruffling Joshua's hair or pinching his cheek and telling him: "My, haven't you grown."

While both men have Olympic gold medals, they were won 16 years apart. Joshua was just six when Klitschko defeated Tonga's Paea Wolfgramm in the super heavyweight final at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

The age gap will be a much-discussed topic in the months before fight night. So too will their sparring session in 2014.

At the time, it was a seven-fight novice helping the undisputed champion of the world get ready to face Kubrat Pulev.

"I think [Joshua] has amazing potential," Klitschko told Dan Rafael of ESPN after the duo went 15 rounds together. "He needs to learn, but that will come. I think he has the size and the weight. He's built like a modern professional warrior and athlete. He has good technique and good amateur background, which is important."

Two years on, Joshua's dispatched all 18 opponents he's faced inside the distance and, bar a second-round wobble against Whyte, has made serene progress in the paid ranks. His critics will rightly point to a lack of serious opposition, but that is something he can fix over time.

Even if the 27-year-old beats Klitschko next year, there will still be a minority who suggest the result says more about the declining health of Dr. Steelhammer than the talent of the victor.

But for Joshua, this is a calculated gamble worth taking at this stage. The reward makes the risk worthwhile, and not just because the bout will also be for the WBA's vacant super title.

Even if the 2012 Olympic champion were to suffer a maiden defeat as a pro, he still has plenty of time to recover and get his career back on track. Klitschko is a shining example of that, having lost to Ross Puritty in his 25th fight.

The same cannot be said for Klitschko. This is a make-or-break deal for the 40-year-old, and therefore, he is the one under intense pressure.

Intense is the right word to sum him up as well. At the press conference, aired live by Sky Sports News HQ in the United Kingdom, he told the media: "I’m obsessed with my goal to become champion again."

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

From the moment he heard the scores at the end of his fight with Tyson Fury in November 2015, Klitschko has likely focused far too much time on the idea of regaining the belts.

He could easily have hung up the gloves after the defeat to Fury and enjoyed retirement with his family. It would have been even easier to call it a day once the planned rematch was scrapped earlier this year. Yet even with Fury out of the picture, Klitschko still cannot just walk off into the sunset.

The facts are clear: Klitschko will be 41 by the time he enters the ring at Wembley. He won't have fought for 15 months, either.

If there are any cobwebs, he's picked the wrong guy to blow them away against. Try and feel your way in against Joshua, and you could end up feeling the force of his right hand.

Yet the most concerning number connected to Klitschko is 52. That is the grand total of punches he landed against Fury, per CompuBox (h/t HBO Boxing).

After over 11 years without a loss, his reign in the division ended with a whimper in Dusseldorf, Germany. It wasn't even as if Fury overwhelmed him—the Englishman worked behind his jab, doing just enough in the eyes of the judges.

Joshua won't pose the same problems as Fury, an underrated technician who also held a three-inch height advantage, but what makes Klitschko believe things will be different this time?

Perhaps the period of inactivity will have revitalised him.

Klitschko fought three times in 2012, then twice in 2013, 2014 and 2015. If staleness were one of the reasons for his no-show last time out, the lengthy break should have solved that issue.

Perhaps he has a cunning plan to nullify Joshua too, believing he can expose the champion's lack of experience. He has fought 358 rounds in his career—Joshua has never gone beyond Round 7.

The jab, as always for Klitschho, will be the key. He has the tendency to wave his left hand around in front before flicking it out. It serves many purposes, though, working as a way to establish range, keep his opponent guessing and, most importantly of all, set the table for the power shots with the right hand.

But Joshua should know what to expect. He also has the added bonus of having youth on his side.

George Foreman famously knocked out Michael Moorer to become heavyweight world champion again at the age of 45. Big George was behind on all three scorecards when he sensationally stopped his fellow American in Round 10. When it comes to heavies going toe-to-toe, anything can happen.

Klitschko will not want to rely on a late turnaround. He will definitely be in better physical shape than Foreman was in 1994, but that doesn't guarantee his reactions and timing will still be at their peak.

Major Taylor, the American cyclist, once said: "Each great athlete must some day bow to that perennial old champion, Father Time, even as I, for Time eventually wins." To put it another way, and to borrow a line from Stinger in Top Gun, Klitschko's ego could be writing a cheque his body cannot cash.

While Joshua will show respect to his elder during the long buildup, any feelings of admiration will be put on hold once the first bell rings. He is paddling out into deep waters, but Klitschko could be swimming against the tide.

Boxers talk far too often about legacies these days, as if it is possible to define careers in their mid-20s. This fight, however, will decide how Klitschko is best remembered.

Win, and he will forever be seen as the boxer who refused to give in, who showed age was just a number and became champion of the world for a third time, just like Muhammad Ali.

Lose, though, and it is surely the end of the line. A distinguished career would close out with back-to-back defeats against Englishmen. Even worse, the dangerous Joshua could lay him out on the Wembley canvas—hardly the lasting memory the obsessed Klitschko would want to leave on the sport he loves.

For the challenger, there will be more than just belts on the line next April.

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